US
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Professional - Extremely Knowledgable - Customer Service Oriented
This was the trip of a lifetime for us and I can not imagine anyone that could have done as much for us as Deo and Earthlife did. We customized our tour to maximize viewing and minimalize lounging by leaving the hotel at sun up and not returning until sundown every day. He helped us plan each day's activities and not only was he ready and excited to get under way, but our lunches and drinks were packed, the safari vehicle was prepped, and the arrangements for passes or other day trip requirements were already completed.
I did a great deal of research before booking with Earthlife because, as I said, this was a trip of a lifetime. People talk about going on safari and seeing the "big five". We not only saw the "big five" time and time again, but we saw and experienced so much more. This trip surpassed anything I ever expected and we owe it all to Deo.
Deo is extremely personable, well educated and conversant in several languages. Wherever we went, he was well known and it was obvious he was well respected by everyone we came into contact with - the hotel staff, other tour operators and guides, the Maasai and locals. His knowledge of the wildlife, terrain, foliage and history was nothing short of incredible. Deo is a guy that loves his job, loves people and it shows in everything he does. And, he has amazing eyesight and taught us how to search long distances for wildlife.
US
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Lake Basin Tour & travel is the best.
While in Uganda, the staff at Lake Basin Tour & Travel were very courteous and helpful. My wife and I enjoyed the company of the tour guide Juma. He was always there to answer any questions and take time away from his family to accommodate us. He is truly passionate about his work. We went on a safari to the national park. The arrangements were smooth and straightforward. We had a lot of fun with the whole group. Took a bunch of pictures. Went cruising on the River Nile, that was AWESOME!!!!!
Basically can't wait to get back and check out the other sites and attractions. My wife is already asking about when we are going back. Definitely using the Lake Basin people for our arrangements.
Ps. If you go, ask them to take you to chicken on a stick and a pork joint!!! Trust me, it will change your life. Delicious.
Thank you Lake Basin Tour & Travel for making me and my wife feel very welcome and comfortable.
Paul
35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
First Class Agent and Service
We have used Journey Beyond for all of our 'African' Adventures since we moved to Johannesburg some 6 years ago. They are without a doubt 'The Best in the Market'. Superlative service, attention to detail and value for money are key. We have travelled to Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Desroches in the Seychelles as well as numerous long weekends to Game Reserves. They will not disappoint.
FR
50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Kilimanjaro Ascent
Great service, made it to the top, thanks to the great guide. All was perfectly organised, starting from the pick up at the airport in Nairobi. He arranged all and I took the local bus to Arusha, it was a great ride. A perfect organisation if you are looking for a good basic service and a great reasonable price. Richard came personally to see me in the hotel after the climb to check how the tour was and the months before he was always replied instantly to all my questions by email. I did the climb for a special birthday occasion and it could have not been better. Richard is a serious business man and although I was first hestitant to send money beforehand, (you never know by today), he dealt with all matters proffesionally and I can only recommend his organisation.
HK
20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
friendly, professional and welcoming. Really a nice experience
Though this company is a fresh one, our trip turned out to be an incredible one. The guide was professional with superb eyesight. He could spot animals which were extremely faraway and hard to see. We were lucky enough to have seen leopard for four times, lions for many times including their cubs. The well planned morning game drive allows us to see hippo on ground. The chef cooked really well and we felt so warm to eat such nice meal in an environment with so many constraints. The guide provided us with binoculars and a reference book which facilitate a lot in our enjoyment of the safari. His price is reasonable and most importantly, he is a friendly person! He knows when to stop and when start again at moments when we were taking photos, without much communication needed. There are many safari company around but I believe some fresh, young and small scale ones may have more potential to provide the service one anticipates.
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
The entire safari was everything and more than I expected.
The staff and guides were courteous, knowledgeable and professional; greatly adding to the full enjoyment of the trip. Living conditions and transportation were totally adequate as were the meals.
US
35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Excellent expereince again!
This was the second year we used Tanzania Serengeti Adventure to plan our trip in Tanzania for our university. This year we had 3 drivers total; Philemon, James and Bryson. All of the drivers are excellent! First, they are all very friendly and are very willing to share their vast knowledge about Tanzania culture, landscape, history and wildlife. Second, they are very safety oriented and want to make certain that you have a very safe and enjoyable trip. Depending on the weather, road conditions can quickly change and they were always able to handle everything without problems. Third, they know where to find the wildlife!!
We had safari tours in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara. We were able to see the Big Five through our travels as well as the zebra migration in the Serengeti. We saw so many animals it is impossible to list them all here. It is safe to say that there was not one animal that I wanted to see that I didn't have the opportunity to see.
While in Tanzania, we also were able to stay at the TSA owned Coffee Farm. The accommodations there are good and it is very nice to stay at a site that is completely solar powered and eco-friendly. In addition, the staff at the Coffee Farm was AMAZING! Rosie is the best cook you could ever encounter and you will be delighted to try the great food that she cooks for you. In addition, all of the staff was very helpful. The director of the Coffee Farm Blaise made certain everything was perfect for our time there and was even able to take us on a tour of the Coffee Farm and show us how coffee was made. It was amazing.
If you are looking for a great tour company to work with, this is your best bet!
US
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Custom luxury safari designed for you at $$, not $$$$. Reputable & reliable.
Very responsive, excellent recommendations... Like a dear friend developing an itinerary, not a safari consultant. The execution of the itinerary was excellent... The hotel-5 stars; the pick ups were timely; guides friendly and accommodating; and the tours awesome! The wife and i, without hesitation, would use falcon safari again, and encourage our family and friends should they desire to visit south africa to use them.
20-35 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
A Truly In-the-Wild Experience!
We had a wonderful 4-day canoeing trip with Natureways down the Zambezi in Mana Pools. We mixed it up with doing 2 days on the more rustic option and 2-days on the luxury option, and both were amazing in their own ways. I've never felt more "out there" as I did on this trip, hearing lions coughing in our camp, dodging hippos for 4 straight days and having close encounters with elephants, waterbuck and crocodiles. The guides were super knowledgeable and always prioritized our safety over anything else. The food was fresh and very well done, and the amenities in the luxury version were spectacular. All in all, one of the best experiences of my life.
There was one BIG mix-up in that we initially signed up for a 2-day walking safari and 2-day canoeing safari but when we got there Natureways had it booked as a 4-day canoeing trip. But in the end, we didn't mind at all as the 2 extra days canoeing were also amazing. Still, it was a mistake on their end.
IN
50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A Dream Trip (according to 16 y/o Junior)
About us: Son (16 y/o) and Father (myself) duo
Our previous safari experience: Kenya, April 2013
Why Safari Multiways: Recommended by an experienced traveler via a Safari forum
The planning process: Romeo of Safari Multiways was prompt with email, open to suggestions, and above all, fully transparent with the costing; that is, the quote for every line item per day was clearly detailed out. Romeo bought the Nairobi - Arusha - Nairobi shuttle bus tickets as well as Flying Doctors' insurance cover.
Type of safari: 9-night basic Camping and Hiking (though Romeo included tented camps on two nights for a change) plus 1-night each at Arusha, before and after.
Experiences:
Wildlife: Tarangire, Serengeti, Migration at Grumeti-Kirawira, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Natron (Flamingos)
Hiking: Empakai Crater, Lake Natron Waterfall, Lake Natron
Local life: Massai villages, Mto Wa Mbu vegetable markets and "Nyama Choma" (Local BBQ).
Camping: Tarangire Small Camp site, Serengeti Nyani Camp site, Ngorongoro Simba Camp site, Lake Natron River Camp site. It was great fun, including the cold evenings at Simba Camp site in Ngorongoro. Some sites like Roika Tented Camp (Tarangire), Panorama Lodge (overlooking Lake Manyara) and River Camp site (Lake Natron) allow you to pitch your tent on their grounds or use their lodges. You can cook your own food in the area provided, if you wish.
Driver-guide: Amos was our driver guide. He drove expertly not only through typical game-drive dirt tracks but also over the brutally rough, often non-existent tracks in the Lake Natron area. His spotting abilities kept us engaged continuously, with sightings of Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Rhino, Hartebeest, Topi, Eland, Antelope, Tortoise, Hyrax and numerous types of Birds. The only wildlife we generally found easier to sight on our own were the common and/or the larger species like Elephant, Giraffe, Gazelle, Zebra, Baboon, Crocodile, Buffalo, Ostrich and Wildebeest. :)
Cook-help: Moses cooked a variety of excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner (Western and African, Soups, Ugali, Pilaf, Kachambari, Stew, Grills etc etc). Our breakfast and picnic-box for the afternoon was promptly ready before we left early morning, and tea/coffee and dinner were ready when we got back. Stove, food, utensils and tents were packed up and ready well in time whenever we moved camps.
Both Amos and Moses are lovely, caring people!
We carried everything in our 4x4, and stopped occasionally to replenish supplies.
We drove through and hiked around amazing landscapes, including game parks, mountains, meadows, 'endless plains', lakes, extinct volcanoes, crater lakes, waterfall and rivers. We got wonderful insights into the life of the beautiful Maasai people, and how peacefully they coexist with nature and wildlife. Personally, those were among my greatest eye-opening or 'a-ha' moments during our trip.
At the beginning of our safari, Amos asked us, "So, how many Lion did you see in Kenya?". We told him proudly (it was in the single digits, actually). He then asked us, "You mean you could count?". That left us wondering what we were in for!
Amos constantly punctuated our game drives with, "See the lion(s) out there?", "See the leopard(s) out there?", "See the cheetah(s) there?". "See the bird(s) there?". Until Amos pointed it out, most of the time we could see none. It was as if the animals and birds appeared out of nowhere! We lost count of our Lion sightings and the number of Lions (and Lionesses and Cubs) we sighted. Probably 60 or 70 across more than 20 or 25 sightings?
After some time, we stopped counting and just admired the magnificent animals in the early morning light or under the shade of a tree at noon or in the slanting light of the setting sun. We drove, on an average, a little over 200 km per day. Our game drives were from 6 AM to 6 PM, and often stretched beyond 6 PM as we raced back to camp.
Today is June 2, 2014. I will be adding to my blog "Travel and Food Tales" shortly, by June 15, 2014.
Please visit http://feni-and-amok.blogspot.com and look for the Tanzania posts under "2014" and "May".
Thank you for reading my review. We wish you a Tanzania experience that will be as mind-blowing as ours was.
Junior has called our trip "The Dream Trip" on his Facebook page. It was, indeed!
Our huge thanks to the Safari Multiways team of Romeo (owner), Amos (driver-guide) and Moses (cook-help) for making this our "Dream Trip", a real "Trip of a Lifetime".
We wish you "Safari njema" and "Kwaheri"!
-- Jyotinath Ganguly (Senior) and Adit Ganguly (Junior), Bangalore, India